180 A Midsummers Rain (2/2)

Huang Yang monk looked at him and continued, ”I've been puzzled and in pain for many years—since enlightenment must come, then why didn't it come earlier? ”Even just half a day earlier—then my friends of the caravan wouldn't have been killed by that Horse Gang. After a long period of time, I finally came to understand the truth that reasons and Lucky Chances for everyone to attain enlightenment are various. When chances come, they actually come. If not, you won't be able to force it.”

Ning Que understood that the master was giving him advice now.

Huang Yang monk continued, ”Blood shouldn't be hot nor burning, since it's not fire. However, it was hot and burning for me at that moment, burning up all my clothes, my body, and even my Buddhist heart. If enlightenment is the perception of the laws of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, then everyone's enlightenment should be distinctive. Only what you feel is real, and what others teach are fake. Hence, you don't need to worry. Be slow, and you'll finally get enlightened.”

Ning Que spent a long time in silent consideration, and then gave a long bow before departing from the Goose Pagoda.

A moment later, Li Qingshan, the Master of Nation of the Tang, suddenly showed up and said, looking at Huang Yang monk, ”Grateful.”

Huang Yang monk shook his head and replied, ”So many contacts in such a short period of time. Don't you worry that he will go wrong?”

Li Qingshan quietly said, ”Such a lineup, including a Divine Talisman Master who's standing in front of the threshold, a highly regarded younger brother of the emperor of the Buddhism Sect, and those freaks in the Second Floor of the Academy, will lead the way for a young lad who's just entering the cultivation world. If he doesn't go wrong, then his future will be predictable. If this still doesn't work, then... we can only wait for the Master to return home.”

Grand Cultivators standing at the top of the Tang Empire all devoted themselves to the educational work of Ning Que. According to Li Qingshan, such latecomers as that lineup might appear again in the future, but surely no predecessors like them had ever come before.

Huang Yang monk kept silent for a while before smilingly saying, ”I hope he won't disappoint you in the future.

”The Military Ministry and the Imperial Center Administration have also investigated him in detail, confirming that he's undisputedly loyal to the Tang Empire. Being able to enter the Second Floor of the Academy proves that he has enough potential, or even the qualifies to become a Divine Talisman Master in the future. Most importantly, he's unlike other cultivators who don't understand the affairs of life and just do things in the clouds. Instead, he acts calmly and coldly, being courageous and capable of killing others by any means on any occasion.

”How can His Majesty miss a young guy like him? Not to mention the role that the young guy's section played in their relationship?

”So, painstakingly cultivating him isn't because old guys like us expect him to give credit to us when he grows up in the future, but because the future of the Tang Empire needs a young man like him.”

...

...

Since finishing the delicate banquet that could not fill his tummy in the palace that day, Ning Que sent some sections into the palace through the Bodyguard Office. After that, he had never been again nor met the emperor of the Tang, so he did not realize that he had become the most important candidate of the talent training program of the Great Tang Empire. However, judging from the talk with Huang Yang master in Wanyan Tower today, he could more or less figure out why the younger brother of the emperor of the Tang dynasty was willing to show up in person, who was relied on much in the palace, in addition to the honor of Master Yan Se.

He was not shocked even if he had guessed it a little correctly, especially compared to the situation where, a few days ago, his Master pointed to the picturesque scenery in Southern City and told him that he would be responsible for the safety of the grand city. But, he would certainly give birth to some touching emotions.

A few days after the meeting in Wanyan Tower, he had been pondering over the words from Master Huang Yang, especially the word ”enlightenment”.

The more that he considered, the more he could confirm that the enlightenment that the Buddhism Sect stressed was actually the Seethrough, if it was put into the system of ordinary cultivation methods. It meant to preliminarily grasp the governing laws of the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

At this time, Ning Que still remained in the No Doubts State, and only a small distance away from the Seethrough. The same went for Talisman Taoism. He just needed a bit of distance to draw out that talisman, but the distance that seemed small for him was the most difficult part to overcome.

Whoever would inevitably give rise to the emotions of anxiety and impatience, seeing that they were only one step away from the peak of the perilous mountain, was always unable to step over. Some days ago, Ning Que really acted calmly and easily. However, he was always looking forward to the coming of that day. Not until hearing those words about enlightenment from Master Huang Yang in the tower did he suddenly realize that expectations, while seeming to be quiet and with merit, were also an anxiety, and that was an obstacle to cultivation.

After a whole night of thorough consideration, Ning Que stopped thinking about such things as the Seethrough and Talisman Taoism. He would still either go to the Academy for flying swords, enjoying songs, forging iron, and gossiping, or walk around in the famous places in Chang'an City. Yet, he did not think about on which day he could enter the Seethrough and set the first brush on the white paper. While watching cornices of the scenic spots, he was just purely appreciating their beauty, reflecting their lines into his eyes, and even printing them into his heart, rather than considering what he could perceive from them.

One day in midsummer—

The Old Brush Pen Shop was enveloped in the trying stuffiness and humidity of the afternoon. Ning Que relied on a bamboo chair under a tree, looking vaguely up at the sky that was separated overhead by branches and green leaves. He picked up a wet towel from the basin beside the chair to flap on his body twice from time to time in order to wash away the greasy sweat and summer heat with the well water.

”Change the water, please. The water in the basin has gotten hot again. What terrible weather this is. Hurry up and fetch some fresh water from the well.”

He was anxious about the severe heat rather than about cultivation, shouting loudly in front of him.

In order to resist those inexhaustible admirers and stewards, the Old Brush Pen Shop now was open only two or three days, and was often closed with the excuse that the host had a joyous occasion. Sangsang was so bored during the day that she would clean the table again and again. Now, hearing Ning Que's annoying shouts in the courtyard, she quickly ran out and poured the old water out under the tree, and then went to fetch some new well water.

At this moment, a long-awaited rain fell down, striking the eaves and leaves with a crackle. It then rapidly transformed into pouring rain like a thunderstorm, which still could not conceal the neighbors' ecstatic shouts coming from the back alley.

”Young Master, get in the house immediately.”

Sangsang dropped the basin and hurried to close the window.

Ning Que lay on the bamboo chair without any movement. He stared at that falling rain, feeling the embrittlement made by raindrops hitting his naked skin, as well as the humidity covering the streets, while his expression seemed a bit strange.

Sangsang looked at him from the window and shouted, ”Why haven't you come in?”

Ning Que opened his eyes, looking at the increasingly dense rain, and suddenly shouted, ”Look, it is so beautiful.”

Sangsang thought that her young master was talking nonsense again. She waited for a long time and found that Ning Que was still lying silly in the bamboo chair. She did not worry that he would catch a cold in the hot weather, but was afraid that he would become a fool exposed in the rain. Then she walked out to the bamboo chair with her slim furrowed eyebrows and looked up at the sky just as he did.

Ning Que found that she had a little trouble looking up, so he put his hands around her waist and held her in his arms.

The master and servant lay side by side on the chair, with their eyes gazing at the sky in the heavy rain.

Sangsang watched the rain that was falling on her face like arrows, and surprisingly said, ”It's really nice.”

Ning Que wiped away the rain on her face, and asked, ”Do you think we are like an eave under millions of years of wind and rain?”

Sangsang shook her head and said, ”I don't think so. I feel like we're a city wall being shot at by a lot of arrows.”

Ning Que sighed, ”What an unromantic girl.”

...

...

At night, the rain gradually stopped.

Sangsang began cooking, while Ning Que dried his body and came to the desk by the window once again.

He poured water into the inkstone, ground the ink stick, and lifted the brush, which was just as usual and natural as he had done for more than a decade.

The piece of white paper on the desk was the original one, whose edges had rolled up during dozens of days, but it was still blank.

He took his gaze away from the page of the Water Volume of the Classics of the Fu character, and gave a glance to the rain dripping from the eave.

Then he dropped his wrist and set the brush down.

The plump nib, which was like a treetop that had been engorged with rain, gently fell onto the white paper.

One line, two lines, three lines, six lines.

Six lines were finished.

Ning Que took a deep breath, and then put the brush away.

Sangsang came in with two bowls of rice with soybean sauce and put them aside before walking to the desk and taking a look with curiosity.

Then she looked up at the roof, and unhappily said with her eyebrows slightly furrowing, ”Is it actually leaking? Wasn't it a new house built in the fourth year of the Tianqi era? Young Master, you need to talk to Mr. Qi tomorrow and tell him to reduce the rent. ”

Ning Que reluctantly shook his head and said, ”Have we ever paid the rent? Moreover, this house doesn't leak.”

”Doesn't leak? Young master, are you confused with a fever because you got wet in the rain? Do I need to go to the pharmacy...”

Sangsang pointed at the blank sheet of paper on the desk and asked with concern, looking at Ning Que.

However, without finishing her words, she, with her slim body, was held by Ning Que into his arms.

Sangsang felt that her young master seemed very excited today. She had no choice but to open her arms, and motionlessly let him hug her.

Ning Que held her tightly and smilingly said in her ear after a short period of silence, ”Tell all those Chang'an people who want to invite me to dinner that I'll have time to attend the meetings in their mansions from today on.”

Hearing those words, Sangsang slightly stiffened and looked again toward the desk.

The six ink lines on the white paper had long disappeared.

Only a puddle of water was left.

It was either rain, or water.